Museums Australia operates with the generous
support of the Australian Government, National
Museum of Australia, ICOM Australia, and Link
Digital, as well as individual members who have
made generous donations.

Designed by Selena Kearney
Production coordination: Stephanie Hamilton
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All images in this Museums Australia Annual
Report 2013 have been sourced and reproduced
with the permission of the owner/s. If you have
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National Office on 02 6230 0346.

National President’s Introduction
2013 was a year of significant achievement for the
Australian museums and galleries sector, particularly in
the digital space. In the biological collections arena the
Atlas of Living Australia reached one billion downloads
at the end of the year, and for the cultural collections,
the Victorian Collections website developed jointly by
Museums Australia (Victoria) and Museum Victoria goes
from strength to strength. Our collections are more and
more accessible to all through digital portals, but we have
more work to do here to meet demand. On a different
scale, regional museums such as the Abbey Museum in
Qld are using digital communication to very successfully
build a supporter base and drive visitation. More of that
later.
There are aspects of 2013 that have been difficult too.
Government funding to our sector continues to decline,
matching a trend for most of the world. One potential
brighter spot is the growing funding available through
private foundations, reflecting an interest of many baby
boomers to give something back, to leave a legacy. Our
challenge is to tap into that, to be the area where people
can make a lasting mark.
Another tough aspect of the year was the media light
shone on the ethics of collecting by major institutions.
As a sector we need to be sure that we never let the
love of the object or the search for collection perfection
override fundamental ethical and legal obligations
around acquisitions. I suspect this will play out more
strongly as countries of origin seek more vigorously to
protect or reclaim their cultural patrimony.
I became National President at the 2013 MA AGM
during the very successful MA National Conference
held in Canberra in May. This conference set a high
benchmark for content and organisation. Important
sectoral meetings were held in parallel with the
conference, and my thanks go to past President Andrew
Sayers for chairing an extremely successful Museum
Summit involving museum and gallery leaders and key
government representatives. This session reflected the
hard work and inspiration Andrew put into Museums
Australia during his presidency.
While I’ve touched on some of the big issues for the past
year, the most important thing for me has been to get
6

around Australia and find out first-hand what members
expect from Museums Australia, and what issues are
capturing attention. This personal fact finding builds on
the very comprehensive MA members survey carried out
during 2013. I’ve listed the issues raised with me here, in
no particular order.
Who do we represent? There is concern that Museums
Australia is perceived to cover only museums in the
narrow sense, and not art museums, or galleries. We
do represent all and we need to make that clearer, with
some in favour of changing our name to include the word
‘galleries’.
Being a professional association. One of the strongest
comments I heard was that we are first and foremost a
professional association, and need to focus on what this
means for us. Some aspects of that follow here.
Knowing who we are, the demographics of our
members, what skills we have, where we are and who is
nearby, are also key aspects of a professional body that
people want.
Training. There is a strong desire that people in our
sector have access to specialist training at a level
appropriate to their needs, be they professionals in a
large institution or volunteers in a regional gallery or
museum. Some would like to see a modular approach
to training, and a parallel qualification like the CPA is to
accountants.
Accreditation. This remains a complex issue across
Australia with widely differing viewpoints. It works well
in some states, for example Victoria, but is clearly not
sought after in others. We need to sort out our position
on accreditation of organisations and of people (related
to the point above) over the next year.
Communication between members. Strengthening
this is seen as vital for Museums Australia.
The MA National Conference is seen as both a key
member benefit and a key way of enabling members
to communicate face to face. It’s also seen as a way of
sharing industry innovations and trends.
Clearer understanding of the benefits of being a
member of Museums Australia is also top of mind for
many. How do we better promote those benefits?

State level service delivery versus national roles.
The perceived role of Museums Australia at state and
territory levels varies widely, given the differing role
of Museums Australia in each jurisdiction, but there
should be a principle of equitable access by Museums
Australia members to services irrespective of where they
are. Members are also seeking clearer definition of the
role of the National Office of Museums Australia, with a
preference to focus more on member services.
How we work with all three tiers of government is a
related issue. Members are best served when we have
strong government relationships; but how much time
should go to that, and who should do it?
How are membership fees best used? The split of
membership fees across various functions is contentious.
We all want a greater share of the pie! We will need
to spend some time looking at what is achieved with
member fees.
Tapping into alternative funding sources, especially
philanthropy, is seen as a priority, given reductions in
government funding. Museums Australia has a role here
in identifying funding sources, and increasing member
skills in sourcing such funding.
In a way, the most pervasive issue that was raised with
me is around all things digital. I mentioned some
aspects of that in my introduction to this report, but I
cannot stress enough that all things digital, whether
it is smart phones or digitised collections, will alter
every aspect of what we do. The key challenges are in
understanding what is happening and harnessing the
potential of those changes.

and for him to hear some of ours.
For me as National President of MA, 2013 was very much
about learning from members, while putting in place
some essential machinery of good governance changes
so that Museums Australia functions more smoothly.
2014 will continue to be about working through the
issues taken up in 2013 and listed above, and this will be
reflected in MA’s next strategic plan.
Museums Australia would not exist without a dedicated
group of staff and volunteers who fill the various workgroups and national committees (including Council
Committees), supported by the State and Territory
branches, chapters, and specialist National Networks.
My thanks to all of these for their dedication to this
important organisations, and the contribution of my
colleagues on the National Council is deeply appreciated.
I express particular thanks to the executive staff in
MA’s branches, to Lee Scott and Stephanie Hamilton for
National Office administration, management and liaison,
and to National Director Bernice Murphy, who I rely on
so much.

Frank Howarth PSM
National President, Museums Australia

The last year has also seen strengthening of the
alignment of the four peak museum and gallery sector
bodies, the Council of Australasian Museum Directors
(CAMD), Council of Australian Art Museum Directors
(CAAMD), ICOM Australia, and Museums Australia.
Speaking with one voice on key issues gives us greater
traction with government, and this was illustrated by
the success of a meeting initiated by me of the leaders
of the four peak bodies with Sen George Brandis,
Commonwealth Minister for the Arts, which resulted
in a joint interface gathering in Melbourne (in February
2014) that allowed us to hear the Minister’s priorities,
7

National Director’s Introduction
The pages of the Annual Report that follow present a
broad overview and round-up of Museums Australia
services and activities during the calendar year 2013.
The Report also provides some detailing of the work
of the national association throughout the year –
through the National Office, located in the National
Museum of Australia, and through the State Branches,
National Networks and Chapters of Museums Australia
distributed across the country.

They demonstrate this in the day-to-day circulation of
their conversations, expertise, specialised resources and
collaborations. They also demonstrate their commitment
and expertise through their involvement in MA’s diverse
and specialised National Networks.
Connecting Australians with their cultural
expressions, creativity, scientific knowledge and
heritage

In addition to programs, services and data provided
under various headings below, some broader features are
worth highlighting about how MA carries forward its
mission and services charter, which is anchored in the
breadth and diversity of its membership.

Backed by museums, cultural centres and heritage bodies
organisationally, whether working within or outside
them, it is the Individual Members of MA who ensure
that while museums continue to develop as multi-skilled
organisations, they are daily shaped and replenished by
their orientation to the communities they serve.

Museums sector strength nationally through
Organisational Membership

This fundamental value of community service spans all
types of museums and collections wherever they are
located in Australia. Public service is the red thread
linking the ever expanding ‘users’ that museums and
collections serve, from in-situ visitors to buildings,
learning centres and exhibitions, through to burgeoning
electronic access audiences – whether tourists, app users,
website first-callers or click-through beavers.

Nearly all the major state and national museums and
galleries in Australia are Organisational Members
of MA. These provide the substructure of leading
institutions lending their weight, confidence, high public
recognition and resources to the national association’s
existence.
However a special character and strength of MA is
provided by its unique interconnection of organisations
of all types, locations and sizes – from the most highprofiled and large museums and galleries in large capital
cities to the smallest and often hugely dispersed regional,
rural and remote organisations that make up a connected,
collaborative organisation of skilled and highly achieving
people spread around a country the size of a continent.

A focus on the public sphere, maintaining public trust
and social benefits, links our museums and galleries
through the wide range of services and programs they
provide, connecting them to the culturally diverse
audiences they aim to engage as social participants, while
being informed and changed through understanding of
their expectations and needs.

Museums sector strength nationally through
Individual Membership
The Individual Members of MA meanwhile provide
the human infrastructure of cooperative purpose and
connective tissue that guarantee the continuing and
unique character of MA as a national association.
Backed by the strong architecture of organisations
spread around the country, large and small, it is the
Individual Members who provide the life-blood of MA.
8

Bernice Murphy
National Director,
Museums Australia

Advocacy
Museums Australia continued a strong commitment to
advocacy of issues affecting the museums sector in 2013.
Having made detailed MA submissions to national
governmental inquiries or public consultations across a
very broad range of policy areas in previous years – the
most detailed of which was a 50-page submission in 2011
on the National Cultural Policy’s development – MA
National Office, working with the National Council,
decided to concentrate and consolidate its work in 2012.
In some areas of national policy development,
opportunities were taken to collaborate with other
professional bodies preparing advocacy submissions
to government, rather than spread MA’s advocacy
work across too wide a spectrum of areas when some
alternative advocacy options favoured collaboration
and consolidation of resources for greater effect. MA
collaborated, for example, in the report to government
on public awareness of science prepared by the strong
university-based organisation, CHASS (Council for
Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences).
Meanwhile MA made contributions to specialised
library-sector work on the Australian Law Reform
Commission’s investigation into Copyright reform. This
was again a good use of MA’s often stretched resources
for advocacy, especially the work required for detailed
submission development.
MA also continued participation, as it has for many years,
in the very effective ArtsPeak collaborative advocacy
forum: realised through cooperation of the CEOs of more
than 20 national arts organisations. This forum achieves
regular contact with successive Arts Ministers and their
Department heads or officers, as well as a continued
interface with the CEO and program directors of the
Australia Council, at whose offices ArtsPeak gatherings
are hosted.
National Cultural Policy and the Museum Summit
The Museum Summit on 16 May 2013 was generously
hosted by the National Museum of Australia, especially
through its Director (and MA President) Andrew Sayers.
The Summit was co-chaired by Andrew Sayers and Lyn
Allen (of the Office for the Arts), who steered those
gathered through an agenda of current topics.

The great number of directors and senior representatives
of museums from all over Australia at the Museum
Summit was strong evidence of closer dialogue with the
Commonwealth Government (especially the Office for
the Arts) achieved in 2012—2013.
Senior members of both the Australia Council and
DFAT also joined the gathering, providing the strongest
interface in recent times of diverse museum leaders with
high-level representatives of Commonwealth offices and
agencies in one conversation for two hours.
The Summit provided powerful proof of the shared
values of museums – demonstrating, for example, that
issues of local need for continuous skills-development in
collections care, across the ‘resources divide’ that often
marks the huge scale of Australia geographically, were
strongly recognised and supported by directors of large
state museums.
The event also demonstrated success in MA’s
progressively closer liaison with CAMD (Council of
Australasian Museum Directors, chaired by Dr Patrick
Greene, CEO Museum Victoria). This built on long-term
MA partnership with ICOM-Australia’s Board (chaired
by Dr Robin Hirst, Museum Victoria). And it gathered up
links through MA membership with other peak bodies
and peer organisations, including CAAMD (Council of
Australian Art Museum Directors) whose Chair in 2013
became Dr Stefano Carboni, Director of the Art Gallery
of Western Australia.
The further drawing together of these four bodies in
common advocacy cause, taken up as a special objective
by incoming MA National President, Frank Howarth, as
he took over the baton from outgoing President Andrew
Sayers in May 2013, resulted in stronger dialogues with
the new Commonwealth government on behalf the
sector by end-year.
There have been some real advocacy gains achieved
for MA. MA was consulted in late 2011 by officers of
the Commonwealth, after submissions had closed on
foreshadowed Immunity from Seizure legislation.
Following issues raised in the MA’s submission, further
conversation was arranged by a senior Arts officer, to
ensure that MA’s arguments had deeper consideration
before the final legislative drafting of the Bill that was
9

National Council 2013—2015
eventually passed as the Protection of Cultural Objects
on Loan Act (March 2013).

Executive

It was also very gratifying to the National Council that
Museums Australia was named four times in the federal
National Cultural Policy released in 2013. That was
perhaps the strongest single ‘advocacy outcome’ achieved
by MA following some years of detailed work and
carefully prepared arguments embracing museums in the
federal Cultural Policy area.

Frank Howarth

With the change of Australian Government later in
the September 2013 federal election, there was an
inevitable change in broad policy-settings by an incoming
government. However MA can entertain the hope that
one of its arguments taken up in the federal cultural
policy earlier in 2013 might still have some suasion in
government awareness.
It was a proud moment for MA to see its advocacy on
behalf of museums lifted into a Commonwealth policy
document in the following terms:
‘As primary custodians and exhibitors of Australia’s
heritage, on behalf of the diverse social communities
that make up our nation, museums and galleries are
expert public communicators. They daily enable and
animate the cultural conversations that configure
people’s self-awareness of belonging to a single nation.
In turn, museums’ resources, exhibitions and public
programs project the distinctive achievements, creativity
and cultural identity of Australians internationally,
engaging both virtual and actual visitors and audiences.’
* Source: Creative Australia, National Cultural Policy, released 13 March
2013. (Minister for the Arts, The Hon Simon Crean MP)

About Museums Australia
Background
Museums Australia (MA) was established in January
1994, arising from a planned decision to merge a number
of separate museums associations long existing in
Australia. A convergent desire emerged in the 1990s to
strengthen the museums sector nationally (in its services
delivery, policies, programs, training and interface with
government): to pursue convergent objectives on a
collaborative basis through one strong national body,
with both institutional as well as individual membership
supporting and providing direct expertise and input for
the museums and galleries sector nationally.
MA draws individual and institutional resources as well
as significant government and private sector support
across some State/Territory jurisdictions (most strongly
in Victoria and Western Australia), to support the
development of museums and galleries across Australia
and the communities they serve.

membership, development and services-delivery
body, working through a constellation of eight State
and Territory Branches, 18 sub-S/T Chapters, 15
specialist National Networks, and supported in national
administration and coordination by the MA National
Office (located within the National Museum of Australia,
Canberra).

Mission
Museums Australia is the national organisation
of museums, galleries and museum professionals
committed to the conservation, continuation and
communication to all Australians of our national and
cultural heritage, present and future, tangible and
intangible.
As a non-government, non-profit body, Museums
Australia promotes professional and ethical standards,
facilitates training, advances knowledge, addresses
issues, and raises public awareness through its national
and international networks.

Scope
Museums Australia members resource, shape, provide
expertise and input to ensure a dynamic national

MA
National Council
Council Standing
Commitee

Council Working
Parties/Task Forces
National Office

National National
Networks (SIGs)

ACT

NSW

NT

Branches

QLD

Central Tablelands
Far North Coast
Golden West
Hunter
Lachlan
Murray Riverina
New England & North West
South East
Southern Highlands & Illawarra
Sydney

Values
• MA champions its membership and the museums
sector as resources for social development, based on
equality of opportunity and support for intellectual,
cultural and social diversity.
• MA promotes an understanding of heritage as
including natural and cultural, tangible and intangible
dimensions. Heritage is conserved through particular
objects and people, sites and places, events and
narratives, music and performance, song, dance,
scientific research, history and other human activities
that convey knowledge and bear cultural meaning.
• MA affirms that governments and communities
share responsibility to support and resource the
conservation and communication of the nation’s
heritage.
• MA believes that the distinctive work museums and
galleries pursue in conjunction with communities in
preservation, research, interpretation, education and
public programming is critical to the conservation of
the nation’s memory.
• MA recognises Australia’s Indigenous peoples as the
nation’s First Peoples and is committed to ensuring
that Indigenous people have control and management
of their cultural heritage and are active participants in
any interpretation to the wider community.
• MA supports ICOM’s Australian National Committee
– as MA’s ‘international committee’ – which offers
important resources for extending the national
museum sector’s contacts and access to international
networks for professional development, partnerships
and exchange.

National Association Funding
The work of the Association is primarily enabled through
its members (large and small Institutional Members
as well as Individual Members). Membership fees
support the Association’s activities across all States and
Territories.
In 2013, MA National Office was granted funding
provision through the 2012/13 round of Grants to
Voluntary Environment, Sustainability and Heritage
Organisations (GVESHO) program, administered by
the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water,
Population and Communities (from September 2013:
12

Department of the Environment). The GVESHO grant
provided $30,000 to assist coverage of administrative
costs of the national association ending in June 2013.
Museums Australia has again been successful in securing
GVESHO funding for the financial year 2013/14.
ICOM Australia partnership and resource-sharing:
MA also received some secretariat funding from ICOM
Australia, to assist the close partnership whereby
MA administers ICOM membership and renewals
for the Australian National Committee of ICOM (the
International Council of Museums).
Museums Australia (Victoria) and Museums Australia
(WA) are meanwhile substantially funded through their
state governments to provide services to the museums
and galleries within their respective states.

Governance Framework and Organisational Structure
The MA National Council, supported by the MA National
Office (MANO), oversees the development of operations,
policies, services, national strategy and advocacy, to
advance the agreed aims of the organisation.
Governance of MA as an Association is conducted in
accordance with the Museums Australia Constitution
and By-Laws, including some modifications for Museums
Australia Divisions that were adopted in 2004, with
subsequent minor amendments by Council in 2008.

National Council Standing Committees
Active National Council Standing Committees operating
in 2013 covered Finance and Audit, Membership,
Publications and Awards.

Management and Accountability
Museums Australia
• Respects the work of all parts of the organisation and
will avoid unnecessary duplication.
• Is committed to effective liaison and communication
within the organisation.
• Promotes and upholds the highest professional
practices and ethical values in its work with Australian
museums and their communities.
• Is a fair and equitable employer.
Audit
Museums Australia conducts an annual financial audit in

line with the ACT Registrar-General’s Office regulations.
The annual audit is facilitated and consolidated
by the National Office and the nominated Auditor
(Accountability) - principal, Mr Anthony Wilson.
Ethical Standards
Staff and volunteers of the national association provide
MA’s most highly valued, collective repository of
expertise, experience, collegial input and resources.
MA places a high priority on ensuring safe, healthy,
supportive and productive workplaces. MA National
Office is currently working on policies and procedures
to advance workplace standards as part of an ongoing
initiative to provide tools supporting development of all
divisions of the association.
MA members are bound by Museums Australia’s Code of
Ethics, and Museums Australia - especially through its
partnership with ICOM Australia - upholds the ICOM
Code of Ethics for Museums (2004) as the international
base-standards code promulgated by the International
Council of Museums (Paris) (3rd, rev.edition), ICOM,
Paris 2006. Museums Australia National Director,
Bernice Murphy, is a past Chair of the ICOM Ethics
Committee (2005-2011).
Staff
Museums Australia National Office (MANO)
The National Office (located at the National Museum of
Australia) maintains two full-time employees: Manager
of National Operations, Lee Scott; and Assistant Manager
Communications, Stephanie Hamilton. The National
Director meanwhile continued to provide externally
contracted services in 2013 as a 0.8 FTE position based in
the National Office.
New South Wales
New South Wales branch Executive Officer, Ms Liz
Gillroy (formerly of The Glasshouse, Port Macquarie)
was contracted from February 2013 to assist the branch
as a business administration officer.
Victoria
MA (Vic) State Branch (working out of generous office
facilities in the Melbourne Museum) supports a dynamic
team of full-time, part-time and contracted positions,
headed by Executive Director, Laura Miles. MA (Vic) is
responsible for providing various programs and services

across Victoria, including the important Museum
Accreditation Program and Victorian Collections.
Western Australia
At the end of 2013, MAWA supported 2 part-time
staff. MAWA Executive Officer, Robert Mitchell and
Professional Development Coordinator, Rosemary
Fitzgerald.
Queensland
Natasha Lewis Honeyman replaced Karike Ashworth as
Membership Officer for 0.1 FTE as part of her position
within Museum and Gallery Services Queensland.
All other MA divisions and sub-divisions are fully
operated by colleagues acting as volunteers - often
serving on a wide array of committees - providing
steerage for the association’s services outreach, national
and regional collaboration, and development of all parts
of the sector.

Privacy and Records Management
MA members’ personal and financial information is
maintained in strictest confidentiality, in line with
Museums Australia’s Privacy Policy Statement. MA does
not keep financial information about members on file.
Financial records, including membership transactions,
are maintained (electronically and offsite) for at least
five years, and human resources records for seven years.
MA’s membership database archives are maintained
electronically, and date back to the incorporation of the
association in January 1994 (in line with Section 67 of
the Associations Incorporations Act 1991). The current
membership database is stored online using the MA
Content Management System designed and maintained
by Link Digital, and updated by MA Australia National
Office. The database is a dynamic online system,
allowing the National Office, Branch and Network
representatives and members to access and update
relevant information.
Museums Australia National Office has been conducting
branch-wide audits on records management throughout
2012-13, with the aim of streamlining filing, archives and
library resources, and digitising records across all offices.

13

Branches
Australian Capital Territory
President
Carol Cartwright
Vice-President
Alex Marsden
Secretary
Kate Morschel
Treasurer
Glenda Smith
Committee members
Claire Baddeley Lyn Beasley
Rebecca Coronel Roger Garland
Penny Grist
Gabrielle Hyslop
Melissa Kemp
Janet Lynn-Mack
Ashleigh Wadman
The Branch Strategic Plan 2009-2012 continued to
provide the direction for the focus and activities for 2013,
as the next plan was delayed while concentrating on
delivering the 2013 National Conference.
The major focus of 2013 was the delivery of the national
conference with the theme of How museums work:
people, industry and nation.
The conference was a great success on all levels.
The target of 500 registrations was met, the target of
sponsorship and trade booths was exceeded and the
quality of the program was high with strong positive
feedback from delegates. Most importantly the National

14

Conference returned a healthy profit to the national
office ($55,000) and to the ACT Branch ($11.550).
The team approach to planning with representatives
from the National Office, the conference organisers
(Conference Logistics) and the host branch (ACT) with
the Chair being the ACT Branch President proved to
be a successful model. The decision to cluster all the
keynote speakers together on â&#x20AC;&#x153;Super Saturdayâ&#x20AC;? started as

a budget reduction strategy but in fact developed to be an
innovative and exciting programming point. The decision
to concentrate on keynote speakers from Australia
with international experience reduced the travel costs
considerably without compromising the program, and
the support from the Darling Foundation to fund Michael
Lynch from Hong Kong assisted greatly. The National
Convention Centre turned out to be an excellent venue
and Canberra as a host city has much to offer with
national institutions and great restaurants.
Maybe some of the highlights included the Welcome
to Canberra by Her Excellency the Governor-General
at Yarralumla; The Conference welcome event at the
NMA following the R&R day; the excellent conference
dinner at the NGA and the Super Saturday program â&#x20AC;&#x201C;
particularly the opening session with Tom Calma and
Robyn Archer followed by Michael Lynch and Michael
Brand. There were many high quality panel sessions,
parallel sessions and very engaging museum theatre
productions as well as the greater use of social media.
The ACT conference organising committee was a
voluntary group and many people committed hundreds
of volunteer hours to realise the high level we set
ourselves.
The Branch also enjoyed a calendar of professional
development and recreational events ending the year
with a wonderful celebration at the new National
Arboretum.

funds on members and activities this year. Finances are
now managed by the national office which has reduced
the stress on our voluntary Treasurer.
2014 is an election year and will see a new Committee
installed with changes to the Executive in March 2014.

During this year the Central Tablelands Chapter
conducted a very successful workshop which was hosted
by Lithgow Small Arms Factory Museum on assessing
significance. Ever popular Kylie Winkworth was tutor.
The Chapter executive have been actively involved with
the Mid Western Council NSW in trying to ensure the

Communication with ACT Branch members has been
enhanced with improved web presence and continues to
use e-Bulletins and web pages.
Ten bursaries were awarded to allow ACT members
to attend the National Conference, which saw many
members enjoy the conference and give excellent
presentations and feedback to a Branch event a month
later.
Finances received a considerable boost from the success
of the conference; there continued to be a commitment
by this committee to spend some of the accumulated

LEFT TOP: ACT Conference Organising Committee.
LEFT BOTTOM 1-5: Highlights from the ACT Branch Spring Trip
to Yass, NSW.
RIGHT: Kylie Winkworth with Mr K Guerin or Lithgow Small
Arms Museum as part of the Central Tablelands Workshop.

15

Kandos Museum collection and building are reopened
to the public. A group of local people have formed the
Kandos Historical Society which is now a member
society of the Chapter. Unfortunately the museum
remains closed and the collection is house in storage
containers while OH&S remedial work continues. The
Chapter is being kept up to date with concerns over the
future of this Museum and its collection.

Tasmania
President
Richard Mulvaney
Secretary
Sue Atkinson
Treasurer
Linda Clark
Committee members
Anthony Curtis
Jane Deeth
Mellissa Smith
2013 was a busy year for activities and events throughout
the community museum sector with over 40 events
16

state wide advertised through our blog site http://
tassiemuseums.edublogs.org/ . This information is sent
out every fortnight to not only our Tasmanian members
but other collecting organisations, media and education
in total 500 email contacts which has helped get our
voice out there and to increase our membership.
In April our branch financially and personally
contributed to the ‘The Preservation and Conservation
of Local Museum Collections’ conducted by conservator
Kim Morris. This was a great chance for 60 volunteers
working in museums across Tasmania to able to attend
the one day workshops which were held in Hobart on
the 8 April at Grote Reber Museum, Launceston on the 9
April at Clarendon House and Devonport on the 10 April
at the Devonport RSL Museum. Arts Tasmania organised
the bookings and the rest of the funding came from the
National Library Community Heritage Grant so no cost
to participants.
Our branch were able to offer 3 bursaries to attend
the Canberra Conference and their reports have been
attached to the article and images on our blog site http://
tassiemuseums.edublogs.org/canberra-conference-2013/
Continuous update on the blog site about what grants are
open and contact details http://tassiemuseums.edublogs.
org/grants/
The branch AGM was held on 17 June 2013. Dr Jane
Deeth, an arts consultant, gave a talk on Learning at
The Museum of Modern Art São Paulo. She had recently
returned from attending a public program presented
by the Museum in Brazil. The branch provided a small
bursary for her travel costs.

Victoria
President
Daniel Wilksch
Vice-President
David Demant
Secretary
Jo-Anne Cooper
Treasurer
Ian Scott
Committee Members
Peter Abbott
Lauren Ellis
Jim McCann
Martin Purslow
Executive Director Laura Miles
Museums Australia (Victoria) was able to maintain and
secure additional funding for its core operations and
flagship programs over the course of 2013. As well as
signing a new three-year agreement for core operational
funding through the Victorian Government and Arts
Victoria, Museums Australia (Victoria) has received
funding from the Veteransâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Affairs Unit and Arts Victoria,
both in the Department of Premier and Cabinet to
support the Victorian Collections project. We are grateful
and energised by this support and the solid contribution
it will make to this next year of Anzac commemorations.
As this new agreement with Arts Victoria is under a new

funding model, MA (Vic) have taken the opportunity
to redevelop some of their programs. In particular, the
Exhibition Services program will look very different in
2014 with a more hands-on approach to the support of
exhibitions by small to medium organisations.
Significant activities in 2013 included MA (Vic)â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual
awards for Victorian Museums and staff, presented by
the Hon. Heidi Victoria, Minister for the Arts, at the
Australian Centre for the Moving Image. The full list of
awardees can be found on the MA (Vic) website)
In addition, the state delivered their second annual
Museums & Galleries Conference in regional Victoria,
17

hosted and sponsored by the National Wool Museum
in Geelong. The Conference brought together museum
staff and volunteers at all levels to discuss their work and
issues in the sector.
Elections to Museums Australia’s National Council saw
the elections of Victorians Peter Abbott and Padraic
Fisher onto the National Council. Both Peter and Padraic
are keen to hear the views of Victorian members on the
role and operations of Museums Australia.
President Daniel Wilksch is stepping down after eight
years, or two full terms.

Western Australia
President
Soula Veyradier
Treasurer
David Stephen
Committee members
Olimpia Cullity
Luke Donegan
Natalie James
Leigh O’Brien
Richard Offen
Zoe Scott
Moss Wilson
Executive Officer Robert Mitchell
Museums Australia Western Australia (MAWA) had
an active and productive year in advancing museums,
galleries and cultural centres through both through
membership and also across the cultural heritage sector.
The successful collation, publishing and distribution
of the Museums and Galleries Great Southern Region
brochure completed the regional brochures program
initiated by Museums Australia Western Australia over 5
years ago. All brochures will now be presented on line as
pdf’s and made freely available.
International Museums Day and Museums Week were
integrated into the National Trust coordinated Western
Australia Heritage Festival which ran from 18 April to
18 May. This partnering extended the reach of publicity
and promotion for member’s events, secured additional
memberships and encouraged broader attendance at
participating museums, galleries and cultural centres.
Fifty-six separate events by members in Metro as part
of Heritage Festival or International Museums Day.
Twenty-six separate events by members in Regions as
part of Heritage Festival or International Museums Day.

18

MAWA remains committed to supporting our regional
Chapters with 10 regional visits throughout the year
offering professional development and sector feedback
sessions. MAWA continues to actively participate within
the culture and the arts sector in Western Australia
including the Cultural Executives Group, Country
Arts WA, Community Arts Network, Art on the Move
and the Collections Sector Advisory Committee. The
Committee provides support and advice to the State’s
main arts and culture fund, the Department of Culture
and the Arts. MAWA President, Soula Veyradier, as
well as participating in the Collections Sector Advisory
Committee chaired the Department of Culture and the
Arts “Connect” grants panel, directed towards collections
sector funding support through three grant programs:
Emerging Curator; Artist in Residence; and Engaging
Collections.
MAWA continues to support the positive governance
issues of Museums Australia through face to face and
teleconference meetings. Executive officer, Robert
Mitchell, is a member of the Museums Australia Finance
Committee and MAWA Programs Coordinator, Rosemary
Fitzgerald, is a member of the Museums Australia
Professional Development Committee.
A working party of past EOs and MAWA Presidents has
conducted an implementation study of the Collections
Sector Training Needs Review by Dr Brian Shepherd
which was released in December 2012. To date sector
consultations have not identified a funding stream to
progress the major initiatives recommended in the
Review. Lotterywest remains committed to a bursary
approach to support attendance at professional
development sessions. Discussions were also held with
the University of Western Australia regarding degree
programs for the sector including discussions oriented
towards cultural heritage management and interuniversity credits in some program areas.
The MAWA State Conference was held at the Notre
Dame University Australia campus in Fremantle on 3 – 4
October. There was a capacity attendance of 110 with
a waiting list. Inter-state and local speakers provided
a combination of academic, professional development,
workshop sessions and local museum and gallery tours.
Fifty regional members were able to attend through
Lotterywest bursaries for registration and/or travel.

From August through December 2013, State Committee
and previous office bearers have held a total of four
strategic planning sessions to develop the MAWA
strategic and Business Plan for 2014 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2017. Face to
face sessions have involved both internal and external
consultants (pro bono) with on-line workbook
opportunities for follow on. The Strategic Plan was
finalized in December 2013 and is now being used as
the basis for ongoing operations and discussions to
confirm the next triennium of sector funding through the
Department of Culture and the Arts.
MAWA is working with the Western Australian Museum,
the National Trust (WA), the Army Museum of WA,
Albany AIF Convoy committees, the State Library of
WA and the Royal WA Historical Society to coordinate
commemorations, exhibits and public programs during
2014 to 2019. Priority of effort currently is to support
local museums through a consolidated Lotterywest
application under the Remembering Them banner a
partnering of the Western Australian Museum, the Royal
Western Australian Historical Society and Museums
Australia.

RIGHT: Introducing the Great War: Paul
Bridges, military historian and Curator at
Guildford Historical Society, demystifies
ANZAC clothing and equipment as part of the
hands on professional development preparations for the Centenary of World War One.

19

National Networks
National Network Activities
Most financially supported National Networks
engaged with their members throughout 2013 through
regular newsletters, surveys, social events, bursaries,
sponsorships and dedicated conference streams. Several
Networks held their own programs and events in 2013.
Museums Australia Education National Network
(MAENN)

This was a really helpful start for the new committee – a
challenge, certainly, but the survey provided a very clear
sense of direction and purpose. Having thought about
and workshopped some strategies, in November 2013 the
committee decided on the following actions:
•

Branding – MAENN would now be called Museums
Australia Education (MAE)

•

Communication – it was decided

At its AGM alongside the Museums Australia National
Conference in May 2013, the Museums Australia
Education National Network (MAENN) elected a new
committee. It also extended thanks to the previous
committee and particularly to David Arnold, for his
contribution as President over many years.
In doing this, the group considered a long-term strategy
to move the executive committee roles to a different state
or territory every few years – in order to share the load,
but principally to share ownership of the network and
allow for new ideas.

•

•

to set up a new MAE website on WordPress,
to allow anyone interested to subscribe for
automatic email updates

•

to expand into social media

•

MAE Newsletters and President’s Reports will
still be emailed to MAE members

•

to have a drive for website subscribers and
social media members in February/March 2014.

Professional Development – it was decided
•

to use Google Hangouts, which offer
functionalities such as streaming live online
panel discussions and then publishing the
captured video to YouTube and also embedding
this in the website – allowing us to build up a
library of PD resources over time

•

that the first online PD for 2014 would be
Constructivism in Australian Museums an
Interview with Dr. Louise Zarmati – in March

•

that future sessions may include a discussion
about how to set up a local state MAE group
(for those states/territories without one),
learning in Art Museums and a session on early
years

•

to run a pre-conference day – MAE Day –
on Friday 16 May, immediately before the
Museums Australia Conference in Launceston.

The new executive is:
•

President: Andrew Hiskens, (State Library of
Victoria)

•

Vice President: Angela Casey (National Museum of
Australia)

•

Treasurer: Peter Hoban (Sovereign Hill)

•

Secretary: Christine Healey (Heide Museum of
Modern Art )

One of the things the new committee inherited from
its predecessor was a recent-ish member survey which
highlighted three main issues:

20

•

Brand – many respondents did not understand
what MAENN was

•

Communication – especially the need to ensure
that information gets to the people who need/value
it (77% of respondents said that they did not receive
MAENN info from their manager), and

•

Professional Development – the need to provide
national workshops or presentations on a regular
basis, experimenting with different media/portals/
software. Face to face PD was also highlighted.

•

MAE is also actively working to encourage state
and territory groups to run their own face to face
PD sessions. Victoria and the ACT have active
groups and NSW has run some recent programs
and Queensland is planning a number of upcoming
sessions.

From the outside, Museums Australia Education may
have seemed a bit quiet over the second half of 2013. But
there was much planning and work by the committee,
building the various initiatives outlined above.

Museums Australia Education Branches
The ACT Branch of MAE, IMAGE, was once again very
active over 2013 with monthly meetings and events for
members around Canberra.
The New South Wales Branch of MAE had a change of
committee in 2013 and has developed a strong program
of events for the later half of 2013 and into 2014 including
weekend forums and workshops.

The Victorian Branch, ENVI, has continued to provide a
range of tours, workshops and professional development
events for their Victorian members. More information is
available on their site: maenvi.wordpress.com/

The Australian Maritime Museums Council (MAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
Maritime Museums National Network) held its
2013 annual conference in Brisbane in March. More
information on the Maritime Museums activities can be
found at their site:
www.maritimemuseumsaustralia.org/

Community Museums

Temporary and Travelling Exhibitions

In 2013 CMNN assisted with the planning of the RR&C
Day of MA2013 National Conference held at Canberra
in May, to which the Network offered two bursaries for
members to attend the conference. A General Meeting
and Network Dinner were also held at the conference.

The popular TTX National Network has been inactive
for a couple of years due to the previous committee
completing their term and no new committee stepping
up. Museums Australia National Office has been working
with several interested people and a new committee was
formed in 2013. The TTX network will be reviewing their
strategic goals and implementing an activity program for
their members in 2014.

CMNN introduced a bursary program where Network
members may apply for a small bursary to assist them to
attend a professional development event other than the
MA National Conference.
Long-term Chair, Bill Storer, stood down from the
Network committee and a new committee was formed:

ABOVE: Bill Storer presenting a workshop at the Regional, Remote
& Community Day at the 2013 National Conference, Canberra.

21

Membership
Snapshot of Membership
MA’s Individual members range from professional and
executive members across the sector to students and
volunteers - from both large metropolitan museums
and galleries to small regional historical societies. MA’s
Individual membership is drawn from a wide variety
of employment backgrounds and interests, including
conservation, curating, education, art and design, visitor
research, marketing, museum theatre, natural history
and science, local and family history, historic sites and
collections of general interest. This diversity serves to
enrich both MA membership and member services in a
shared dedication to enhancing Australia’s heritage and
its conservation, as well as increasing networked access
of information and resources to diverse publics.

Membership Review Committee
The Membership Review Committee was formed in
2012 with the goal of redeveloping MA’s membership
and fee structure and determining ways of increasing and
communicating the benefits offers by MA to members.
The resulting changes to the MA membership structure
go into effect on 1 February 2014.

1820

1720 1720 1705
1660

MA’s Organisational membership numbers 716 Australian
institutions (both large and small). However, in reality,
this number represents many thousands of staff,
volunteers and friends nationally.

1605

Total Membership

1520
1483

Total members 1458

1434

Individual 742
New members 258
Lapsed members 234

No. Members

Organisational 716
1407

New Members
Museums Australia warmly welcomes all of our new
members who joined in 2013. New memberships were
spread relatively evenly throughout the year, with a small
spike leading up to the National Conference. Branches
and Networks actively promoted Museums Australia,
leading to a positive growth in member numbers and
responsiveness.

RIGHT: Trends in total membership from 2002-2013
CENTRE: 2013 Organisational member numbers
FAR RIGHT: 2013 member numbers by state and type

22

2004

2006

2008
Year

2010

2012

1458

The Membership Review Committee also contracted
a marketing consultant who will be working together
with the MA National Office to develop and enrich MA’s
membership collateral and establish targeted methods to
better communicate member benefits.

426

Museums Australia 2013 Member Survey
The MA 2013 Member Survey was conducted to inform
the MA Membership Review Committee’s review and
redevelopment of MA’s membership structure and fees.
The MA 2013 Member Survey received an excellent
response rate, and provided a representative sample
of MA membership information and opinions. The
information gained from the survey is relevant to MA
strategic planning and ongoing program development.
The MA 2013 Member Survey is available on the website.

242

Organisational
Individual

No. Members

185

179

No. Members

221
119

170
86

25
123
69

83

30
62
46
13

1 ORG

2 ORG

3 ORG

4 ORG

All
volunteers
to one paid
staff

2 to 5
staff

6 to 15
staff

16 to 25
staff

4

5 ORG

8

6 ORG

26 to 40
41 to
staff
100 staff

14

17

7 ORG
Over
100 staff

7
13

ACT NSW

NT

18

QLD

SA

TAS

1, 13

VIC

WA

OS

23

National Conference
National Conference 2013 (Canberra)
How museums work: people, industry and nation
proved to be a stimulating theme for this year’s National
Conference, held this year in Canberra. Conducted over
the weekend of International Museum Day (18 May),
and featuring a major line-up of keynote speakers on the
concentrated plenary opening day, ‘Super Saturday’, the
Conference saw almost five hundred delegates enthralled
and engaged with the important role museums continue
to play in the cultural life of Australia and other nations.
The keynote speakers on Saturday 18 May formed a
powerful opening bracket of diverse voices and ideas,
setting the scene for the two parallel-session days that
followed.
The convergence of many associated meetings, including
museum director members of CAMD, MA’s National
Council, and the pre-Conference Museum Summit (in
which museums-sector leaders met with government
officers to canvass shared concerns) gave the conference
organisers an unusual opportunity to engage many of
these senior people in chairing sessions afterwards, and
participating in important panels that added a special
depth of knowledge to presenters throughout this annual
peak gathering for the sector.
Following Super Saturday, there were two sessionpacked days of concurrent sessions and workshops,
National Network meetings, and wider discussions –

24

especially during the social events conducted across the
weekend and encompassing four evenings.
The National Convention Centre in Canberra proved to
be a central and vital venue – particularly considering the
quality of diverse spaces provided, the unusually praised
standard of food on offer during all breaks, and excellent
IT support throughout. The large NCC hall, readily
accessible on entering and the hub for lunches and teabreaks, was filled around the perimeter with more than
twenty trade show booths (constituting the largest lineup of suppliers at any MA Conference of recent years).
Meanwhile there was a real buzz around the informal
and sessional spaces, including between four and five
hundred museum and gallery delegates variously in
attendance for most of the sessions across three days.
Some of the social highlights were popular. Only
Canberra colleagues can make the necessary
arrangements for an invitation to Yarralumla, the official
residence of the Governor-General. Her Excellency
Quentin Bryce, whose staff had specified her eagerness
to receive a fully cross-sectional group of colleagues and
regional museum delegates, not simply directors, proved
to be a delightful host to a representative gathering
including Indigenous colleagues.
The Program also provided social gatherings at Canberra
Museum & Art Gallery, and the National Museum of

Australia (where the wonderful performing group, the
Stiff Gins, entertained all at the Opening Event, and MA
National President Andrew Sayers welcomed all to the
NMA and to Canberra). Friday evening was followed by
the Conference Dinner on Saturday at the NGA (with
an entertaining address by NGA Director Ron Radford).
Finally there was a thoughtfully prepared evening at the
NFSA hosted by Director Michael Loebenstein and Nigel
Sutton.
While this ‘performed culture’ program of film and
sound presented at the NFSA deserves special tribute,
Canberra in fact houses most of the major collecting
institutions, which all supported the Conference
generously and imaginatively, as well as throwing open
their doors and collections to the many interested
visitors in the national capital for the week.

Overall, the 2013 National Conference gave delegates the
opportunity to meet old colleagues, swap museum stories
and compare current programs, engage with social
media, and most important of all, to envisage the future
of museums as socially responsive institutions addressing
a rapidly changing world. The 2013 Conference
Organising Group sought to deliver a wide-ranging and
meaningful conference – this year spiked by providing
specially ‘curated sessions’ that thematically linked
speakers around particular themes, and engaging senior
staff in leading panel discussions.
Report by Carol Cartwright, MA2013 Conference Committee Chair

25

Awards
Museums Australia offers congratulations to all winners
of the 2013 Awards programs, and salutes the sector for
its continued repositioning of museums, galleries and
cultural creativity through the strong impact of such
successful awards programs. MAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Victorian, Queensland
and New South Wales Branches each hold their own
state-based awards programs.

Awards Review Committee
The National Council established a committee to review

the national awards programs. The Committee met in
November 2013 and a number of recommendations
were made and later adopted by National Council.
These included updating and consolidating many of
the categories and entry levels, entry criteria, and
sponsorship development strategies. The changes will be
implemented in 2014 when call for entries open for both
MAPDA and MAGNA in February.

MAGNA 2013
The Museums and Galleries National Awards
(MAGNA) encourages excellence and recognises the
significant positive impact of our highest achievers in
contributing to the sector, by recognising benchmark
excellence in Exhibitions (Permanent and Temporary/
Travelling), Public Programs, and projects and
developments that promote ethical and sustainable
practices.

The 2013 MAGNAs were presented at the Museums
Australia National Conference Awards Ceremony held at
the National Convention Centre, Canberra.
The NATIONAL WINNER of the 2013 MAGNA Awards
was the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery for their
redevelopment project of their permanent galleries.
Information on all the winning MAGNA entries can be
found on the Museums Australia website <http://www.
museumsaustralia.org.au/site/magna2013_winners.php>

MAPDA 2013
MAPDA 2013 was featured during the Museums
Australia National Conference. Shortlisted entries and
winners can be viewed on the MA website.
Hosted by Richard Mulvaney (Director, Queen Victoria
Museum and Art Gallery), and held in conjunction
with the Museums and Galleries National Awards
(MAGNAs), the 2013 Awards ceremony was attended
by more than 250 awardees, designers and conference
delegates. Winning entries were exhibited at the National
Convention Centre throughout the conference.
The MAPDAs continue to attract a widening interest in
the sector with increased entries across all categories,
particularly the multimedia category.
The Best in Show for print publications was awarded to
Heide Museum of Modern Art for their major exhibition
catalogue, Louise Bourgeois in Australia (designed by Liz
Cox, Heide - pictured top right).
Museum Victoria was awarded a Judges Special Award in
the print publication category, for their invitation for Art
of Science (designed by Jo Pritchard, Museum Victoria).
The Best in Show for the electronic category was
awarded to the Museum of Contemporary Art for their
website (designed by Katja Hartung, Toban). Judges
Special Awards were made to the Sydney Living
Museumsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; The Cook and the Curator and Queensland Art
Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art Persian For Kids.
Acknowledgements
Museums Australia is extremely grateful for the
continuing and loyal support of Australian Book
Connection as the major sponsor of the MAPDA Awards.
27

Communications
Museums Australia Magazine
Museums Australia Magazine (MAM) is published
quarterly, and contains relevant and informative
articles on current development. MAM is beautifully
designed (and published using sustainable, recycled
stock) to provide members and subscribers with a broad
and enriching experience of the breadth of the sector
nationally.
MAM is available and viewable online, free for all readers
of the current issue, and later archived for members only.

Museums Australia Website
Museums Australia’s national website continues to
grow as a national tool for members. The website
is continually under review, with new content and
resources added regularly.

Museums Australia e-Bulletins
MA’s e-Bulletins are distributed electronically by the
National Office on a weekly basis to all members. The
e-Bulletins detail national and international news, events
and opportunities.
State Branches and National Networks also distribute
regular newsletters by email and/or post to their
members.

Facebook
Museums Australia launched a Facebook page in May
2012. The page has become a useful forum for sector
news and association updates and had over 750 followers
at the end of 2013.

State Publications
Several of MA’s State Branches publish comprehensive
periodicals for their members. In 2012, MA (Vic)
continued to produce its excellent Insite publications;
meanwhile MAWA similarly produced its fine Musings,
in an online format.

28

Partnerships
Museums Australia has developed many strong
partnerships with other national and international
organisations. MA’s key ongoing partner is ICOM
Australia (the National Committee of the International
Council of Museum, Paris). Museums Australia National
Office provides secretariat services for ICOM Australia.
MA’s partnership with the Council of Australasian
Museums Directors (CAMD) continues to strengthen in
2013. MA is also an affiliate (and financially supporting
member) of BlueShield Australia (BSA).
MA would also like to thank our generous supporters
and sponsors who have in 2013 contributed financial
and in-kind resources that help MA continue to provide
quality services and developmental opportunities for the
Australia museums and galleries sector.

Insurance
Museums Australia has partnered with OAMPS
Insurance Brokers to tailor a range of insurance
options targeted to museums, their workers, and their
collections. The insurance scheme was launched at
the MA2013 National Conference in May and has been
enthusiastically received by many member and nonmember organisations.
Current available policies include:
•

Institutional Members
Australian Capital Territory
ACT Historic Places
ANU Classics Museum
Atlas of Living Australia
Australian Council of National Trusts
Australian Federal Police Museum
Australian National Museum of Education
Australian National Wildlife Collection
Australian War Memorial
Canberra Museum & Gallery
Conference Logistics
Designcraft
Discovery - CSIRO
Exhibitions Branch - National Library of Australia
Hall School Museum
Museum of Australian Democracy Old Parliament House
National Archives of Australia
National Capital Educational Tourism Project
National Dinosaur Museum
National Film & Sound Archive of Australia
National Gallery of Australia
National Library of Australia
National Museum of Australia
National Portrait Gallery
Rob Little Digital Images
Royal Australian Mint - Gallery & Education Section

Art Exhibitions Australia Ltd
Art Gallery of NSW
Art Gallery of NSW Library
Australian Aviation Museum
Australian Country Music Foundation Inc
Australian Golf Heritage Society Inc
Australian History Museum
Australian Museum
Australian Museum of Clothing and Textiles
Australian National Maritime Museum
Australian Society of Marine Artists
30